According to state media and rights groups, on Sunday in Moscow, he was arrested hundreds of people, including prominent opposition figure, for participating in unauthorized protests. The demonstrators called for a large-scale anti-corruption rally in Moscow.

The state news Agency TASS reported that only in Moscow in protest was attended by 8 thousand people. According to the organizers, similar protests were planned in 100 cities of Russia. The Russian human rights organization OVD-Info wrote that in Moscow detained more than 700 people, the state news Agency "RIA Novosti" said that 500 people.

Among the detainees was a critic Alexei Navalny, in accordance with tweets Navalny and his press Secretary. "Today we discuss (and condemn) the corruption, not the detention. Well, I was arrested. So what. All right. There are things that are worth the delay," wrote Navalny.

The demonstrations occur at a time when the safety of critics of Vladimir Putin is under scrutiny. On Thursday, former Russian legislator and vocal critic of the Russian government Denis Voronenkov was shot near the luxury hotel in the capital of Ukraine.

The U.S. state Department spoke out against the arrests. "The United States strongly condemns the detention of hundreds of peaceful demonstrators across Russia on Sunday" - said the official representative of State Department mark Toner. "We learned about the arrest of opposition activist Alexei Navalny upon arrival at the demonstration, and the police raids on anti-corruption headed by the organization".

The protest attracted a large police presence, but remained largely peaceful. Officers of Riot police surrounded the crowd, while plainclothes officers were moving among the demonstrators. Police said the street people that the protest was unauthorized, and asked them to move on.

Protesters in Moscow walked on Tverskaya street, one of the main thoroughfares of the city, which starts at the Kremlin walls. "I can't support our government," said one protester. "They are stealing our money, using your power."
sections: Politics, Region News, Region News, Accidents